1. Filed of the Invention
Present invention relates to a shape forming system and shape forming method and, more specifically, to, for example, a system and method configured to heat and soften a material to be formed, and subject the softened material to press forming to thereby manufacture a shaped product.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mold-transfer type shape forming system which is configured to thermally soften a material to be formed, and press the softened material to manufacture a shaped product and, in which a shape forming cycle is shortened by moving each of mold assemblies holding materials to be formed between units configured to respectively carry out a heating treatment, press forming treatment, and cooling treatment to thereby simultaneously advance each of the heating process, shape forming process, and cooling process for a plurality of materials to be formed is known (see for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-131489).
In a shape forming system of this kind, units are arranged in parallel in one boxy isolation chamber in order to maintain the non-oxidative atmosphere such as an inert gas or the like inside the system. Further, the shape forming system is provided with conveyance units configured to convey mold assemblies between the units.